Publisher ' s Editorial
The Black Panther
The Revival of Black Pride and Black Power
Publisher ' s Editorial Darryl A . Barrs , Sr . President / CEO Program Success
The prenominal success of the Black Panther movie brought a new spirit of Black Pride and Black Power in our communities . It is the success of our Black Businesses mostly due to their dedication and commitment to excellence . Blacks today are rising to the top in every area of business from mortgage banking & finance , real estate , accounting , law , medicine , investment , and retail . There was a time when the only businesses owned and operated by Blacks were funeral homes , beauty parlor / barber shops , and restaurants . Times have changed and so have Blacks in business ... but not to the acclaim of many .
Success in business is important . Pride and Power are only two of its many accolades . Pride and Power are necessary in every arena of success and every area of growth . It is debatable which comes first - Pride or Power ? Success in business producing pride ... or success in business producing power . Are we proud because we have power ? Are we powerful because we have pride ?
The Power of Business ownership comes in having the ability to control ones own destiny and financial future . When you accept a job , you are given a salary . At the end of the year , you can add up your pay stubs and yes , minus taxes , insurance and other deductions , your employer was true to their word in the salary they offered you , despite their increasing daily demands on you with extra workloads . This salary determines the type of house you live in , the kind of car you drive , your ability to educate your children , the caliber and quantity of your free-time , and how well you can support your church and community .
The Power of Business ownership allows you to chart your own financial path . If your mind can conceive it , business ownership supplies a mean to achieve it . There is power in having a choice , having freedom of expression , having ambition , and having control over your life . You are the Boss .
The Pride of Business ownership comes mostly from its fruits . When you look back over the countless extra hours you have worked and see what you have built , the people you have employed and helped , and how in your own little way you have made a difference in this world . That ' s the Pride of Business ownership .
Those who elect to accept the challenges of business ownership are special . These people have not taken the easy way , instead , their path is one that is criticized and ostracized . I have been self-employed all of my adult life , and because of it , I have been somewhat of an outcast even in my own family . I don ' t know if it is because people can ' t understand why anyone educated would volunteer to ride the roller coaster of feast-or-famine . Or maybe , others see your selfemployment as a mirror held up to them reflecting their neglected ambitions . Regardless , instead of gravitating around our business leaders , we far too often shun them .
The Program Success Magazine each month presents between 20 to 30 Black owned businesses in each edition . These are successful businesses that are worthy of our support . They have sacrificed and invested in their businesses so to offer the highest quality of service and the very best of products to their customers . These are businesses that can hire and inspire our youth , and allow them future support for their families that will ensure a productive Black community in the years to come .
Society has taught many of us to reject those individuals whose talents and abilities can advance us as a people , where in other communities the same types of individuals are championed . How do you feel when you open the Program Success Magazine and see the faces of Black men and women , young and old , running their own business ? Some refuse to even open and read the magazine because of the Black face on the cover and their societal conditioning of self-hatred . We must move forward as a community - realizing all will not come at first , some not at all , but many will respond to the call of unity and the self-preservation of the Black community . In order to be viable as a people , we must support our Business Leaders .
Stop by their shops . Buy from them . Call and encourage them . If you are considering starting your own business , consult them . I remember over the 25-year period we have been publishing the Christian Reader Newspaper and now the Program Success Magazine , almost 5 dozen other Black newspapers and magazines was started . Not one consulted nor referenced me as an established publication . I could have shared some of the ups and downs of being in the business , and maybe even provided some guidance around pitfalls . I could have shared my mistakes and countless loses . Needless to say , not many of those new publications are around to date .
I am proud of the businesses and community leaders we are blessed to present to you each month . I know of the power they possess to make great changes in the lives of other . These businesses are making a difference today . These businesses say to the world that as Black people - we can win , and we will win . These businesses exist for you and because of you . Let ' s give them the support they need . They are worthy of it . Let bring back both - Black Pride and Black Power .
Publisher ' s Editorial Darryl A . Barrs
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The Black Panther
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Revival of Black Pride and Black Power / Jacksonville , Florida Summer 2018
Publisher ' s Editorial